Anyone who's been around the elementary set for any length of time, especially (but not limited to) the holiday season has heard the question. Or worse, the argument that's already started before you got there.
"He is NOT real!! He's your mom and dad!! They're Santa!"
And the little ones who still believe, insistent that, "He IS real!! He brings me presents every year!!"
I have intervened several times over the years in those discussions.
My stock answer, when 10 little faces of varying ages are turned to me, wanting truth, is, "I have never seen Santa. But I know he brought presents to me when I was a kid, and he brought presents for my own children. What did he bring to you last year?"
That's a very good question, and immediately gets them talking about presents.
They interrupt each other in their enthusiasm and their desire to tell everyone what they want/got.
The Santa question is tabled, at least temporarily. It will come up again, of course.
Some of the older kids still believe in Santa because, "There's NO WAY my mom and dad can afford to give me _________________ and I got one last year!!"
I can see them getting a little more, hm, cynical, though.
I don't have Liam anymore, he aged out of the program quite awhile back, but when the Santa discussion started with him around, he had to bring religion into the conversation. Those were fun times.
This year, I have more young ones than I've ever had before because our state is putting children in K all day long. Full day K. What a horrible idea. Seriously. Doesn't matter what I think, of course. People think it's a wonderful thing to put a five year old in all day school... 'cause it's "free." Uh huh. It's costing us about 12 grand per year per child for all that 'free' stuff.
I have more than one five year old who is being dropped off before seven AM and not picked up until after five PM.
I don't hold it against the parents, of course. They have to feed those little people. And buy them clothing and toys and provide a roof over their heads. These people love their children and want what's best for them. Most parents do.
It's just a really long day for those little people. At the end of a full day of school, they're tired and sometimes a little weepy. One of the little girls cries quite often. Today it was because she fell down two times in the hallway on the way to the cafeteria. I asked her why she'd fallen. She admitted that she'd been running. Both times. I told her that hopefully that would make her slow down.
All afternoon she ran back and forth across the cafeteria. My reminders to 'please walk' did temporarily slow her down. But she's five. Short attention span and just like a little butterfly, fluttering between here and there cheerfully.
She told me today that Santa is going to bring her lots and lots of toys because she sat on his lap last weekend and told him what she wanted.
I asked her what she wanted and she recited her whole list.
School is such a big adjustment for the little ones and I'm sure it can be a bit overwhelming, too. My kids went to half day kindergarten and I thought that was plenty. I didn't even go to kindergarten in my day and I don't know anyone from my time that did.
ReplyDeleteI went to K. I walked the six blocks to get there, too. I got lost almost every day, and wandered around the neighborhood until I saw something familiar. I was chased by dogs, I had a man approach me and ask me if I'd seen his little lamb, and I fell down once and skinned my knees horribly and had to get home with blood everywhere. I think I may have been too young to go alone.
DeleteKids and Christmas! wonderful. My dad was the "santa at the church we attend wehn my nieces and nephew were small. Dads hands are quite arthritic and mishapen so we were sure to put gloves on him,and his costume was wonderful but all the same tara said"Santa looks a lot like Grandpa" without missing a beat I said, he does, he looks like everyone's grandpa a little , that's how you know you can trust him and he is real. She bought it, and my mom and sister sat there applauding lol
ReplyDeleteAn answer that was truly inspired. :) That was awesome!!!
DeleteYeah, I can see that parents will leave their kids in daycare a little longer in hopes of getting holiday shopping done ~ that was always a bit of a scheduling nightmare, shopping for the kids without taking them! But my heart goes out to them, poor things! I suppose most of their Grandmothers still work too, as mine did when my children were in day care. It's a tough ol' world out there....
ReplyDeleteIt is a tough world, and the kids are the ones who sort of fall through the cracks... even though all that work their parents are doing is for their benefit. I am glad that I provide a good place for them to be. And as a bonus, I have the world's best assistant. :)
DeleteI can just picture that little girl reciting her list with wonder in her eyes. Hope all is well in your world :)
ReplyDeleteIt's all good. Just way too busy to sit and write. So many things going on that blogging has been the thing to suffer. :)
DeleteI also hope all is well... Can't remember last time you didn't post for a week without any warning. Thinking very hard of you and yours and all the kids.
ReplyDeleteHug and happy holidays (in case you've just taken some time off),
Jade
Just swamped. Crazy busy. I can see things slowing down a little when January rolls around. Sadly, we'll have to start gearing up for summer in March or so. Sometimes I love summer program. I have a feeling that I'll hate it this year, though.
DeleteI'm so glad I was blessed with attending school during a time when, for most families, one paycheck was enough and we didn't have to attend kindergarten on a full-day schedule. God bless you for all the work you do to make the little ones happier. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI really was excited to go, although in retrospect, I was one of those kids who was kind of a pain for the teacher. I already knew how to read and I was bored, bored, bored.
DeleteI sent kid #1, but kid #2 was not subjected to the craziness. :)